Signs

Like The Five Man Electrical Band sang:

And the sign said,
"Long-haired freaky people
Need not apply."
So I tucked my hair up under my hat
And I went in to ask him why.
He said, "You look like a fine upstandin' young man.
I think you'll do."
So I took off my hat and said, "Imagine that.
huh , me workin' for you."

Whoa, sign, sign.
Everywhere a sign.
Blockin' out the scen'ry.
Breakin' my mind.
Do this. Don't do that.
Can't you read the sign?

Lots of interesting signs on this southwestern trip! There were fun road signs like Sandy Mush Road, in the Central Valley, or the ever-popular Zzyzzyx Road exit, between Barstow and Las Vegas. Or curious informational signs, like "70' Public Scale," or the "Living Water Bible Church." Some signs were schizophrenic, like "T&T Liberty Safes" in the Central Valley (safes and liberty don't go together!)

What does this sign mean exactly? It's located at the I-40 freeway stop of Ludlow, CA, in the middle of the Mojave Desert. It's not exactly a warning, but more like official announcement, absolving governmental responsibility for your wretched fate on hazardous desert back roads. Caveat driver!

This sign is like the box downstairs at work, labelled "do not place unstamped mail in this box" (implying that just about anything else, from elephants to transaxles, can be placed in the box).








Do what you are told! (also at Ludlow, CA).
















Graffiti under the I-10 bridge over the Colorado River, at Blythe, CA.





I guess people have a lot of aggression to work out in Arizona! This place is located very near where I once lived, in Tempe. Maybe it's better I left when I did!



Dammit, I was looking for strategic firearms! I guess I have to go to the mall instead!












A sign of strident discontent, on a wall in Magdalena, NM.









This is one of Walt's favorite intersections in Albuquerque (on the West Mesa).

















The irony of this sign, of course, is that the exclusive, gated Oxbow residential development, hugging the bluffs just below St. Pius X High School (the former St. Joseph's College, AKA University of Albuquerque), on the West Mesa of Albuquerque, wiped out native plants that we monitored during a special summer high school biology workshop, taught by Mr. Funk and Mr. Templeton, in 1973. Damn those Oxbow bastards!